Alternate University
by ElegantButler
Summary: When a group of people arrive at Lost Cristobel High School from several other universes, an ancient deity is awakened during a field trip and teachers and students alike must work alongside a crusty old New York detective and a futuristic-cabbie-turned-schoolbus- driver to save a possessed classmate.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE:

The school stood on a small rise above the city. Its greyish white bricks caught the rays of the sunlight while that same light reflected off its beveled windows.

In a classroom whose door proclaimed its area of study to be Potions and Chemistry, Severus Snape leaned over a simmering cauldron and carefully added a well-crushed beetle carapace to the potion within.

There was a knock on the door. With a resigned expression, Snape placed a stasis charm on the potion to keep it from spoiling. Then he went to the door.

"You again?" he asked, seeing the redhead standing at the door. "Professor Sutcliffe. Don't you think you should be working on this year's lesson plan? Thanatology? That was your topic for your psychology course this year. Correct?"

"Yes," Grell rhapsodized. "The study of the intricacies of Death. It's a much misunderstood topic, you know. Oh there is so much…"

"Yes, I'm sure there is," Snape told him. "However, there is a great deal I must do in preparation for classes. So I really don't have time for pleasantries."

"Then let me get right to the point," Grell said. "I need a…"

"Love potion," Snape cut the Reaper off. "Yes. You've been asking for one ever since I made the mistake of letting it slip that I am a potions master. I am not inclined to do so. And even if I were, I doubt it would work on the object of your desire, seeing that he is a demon and all."

"All professors," a voice said over the school's intercom system. "Attention all professors. Your presence is required in the main office in ten minutes for noon meeting. Please note attendance is mandatory as is presentable attire. I mean you, Sutcliffe."

Grell looked down at the two piece suit she was wearing. "There is nothing wrong with this skirt." she stated. "It covers both knees and it's a simple a-line design. I don't know why he picks on me."

She turned and walked off, heading for the office. Will was going to regret singling her out. As she reached the steps, she was met by another colleague, Dirk Gently, who was the school's professor of philosophy. Rumor had it that Mr. Gently was once a detective. Though no police department acknowledged any connection to him.

"Mr. Sutcliffe," Dirk said in an excited voice. "I really must speak to you at length at some point."

"That's Miss Sutcliffe," Grell said, in a put off tone. "And I'm really busy now. Or didn't you hear the call for meeting."

"Miss Sutcliffe, then," Dirk corrected himself. "But as a student in the field of death, you must certainly have an appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things."

"Death does indeed connect everything," Grell agreed. "But I really don't have time to chat about that right now. Gotta run. More's the pity!"

"Have you ever given thought as to what happens to us beyond death? Whether the interconnectedness continues beyond the grave?" Dirk asked as he followed Grell to the main office.

"Of course I have," Grell said, pointedly. "I get overtime and a ton of paperwork."

She opened the office door and stepped inside as she spoke this last remark.

"And you'll get a lot more if you don't show a little respect," said Headmaster Spears as he adjusted his glasses.

"You really need to get those refit, darling," Grell told him.

"Sutcliffe!" Will exclaimed as Snape walked in followed by two other teachers, Edison Carter and Gregory Fanducci, and the one of the bus drivers, Korben Dallas.

It was not unusual to see Dallas at these meetings. As the bus driver who arranged travel for field trips, he made it a point to discuss the financial aspects of the trips, making sure there was money for fuel and other trip-related necessities.

As the school was in a world where many students, and professors for that matter, were not actually from, there was often trouble with money. Some of the students had taken to working odd jobs to gain some of the local currency. But not all of them had the right skills to work in the world they now found themselves in.

Kenny Travis, Bryce Lynch, and Jacob Frannag, who were erroneously referred to as the triplets, because of their uncanny similarities in appearance, each found a niche they liked in the world.

Kenny, who had lived in a small town where he had once encountered a dangerous warlock, found himself a job as a warehouse security guard. After all, with his powers, and considering he had bested Satan's own servant, he figured it would be an easy enough job.

Jacob, who had killed one of the beast-god Fenrir's incarnations during a fight in which he had been helping the god Tyr along with Police Detective Gregory Fanducci, who had followed him into this world, decided he'd had enough violence in his life for a while and had taken a part time job in the gift shop of a local museum.

Bryce found a job with the local police department as an advisor in matters concerning computer hackers and cyberterrorists. It wasn't Network 23, but the job was similar and the familiarity of it made him feel right at home. And at least Edison Carter had come through the time storm with him.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

"A wonderful replica of the Selene Tower," Jacob told the middle-aged woman as he bagged her purchase. "I have one at home myself. Have a nice day."

He looked to the next customer and saw it was his doppleganger, or at least one of them as he seemed to have two.

"Bryce?" he guessed.

"Yes," Bryce confirmed. He had met both Jacob and Kenny when the time storm had brought them all to whatever world this was. "I'm just here to see Mr. Stephens about some concerns he has over the museum's computer security program."

"He's in his office," Jacob told him. "School starts tomorrow."

"I know," Bryce sighed. "I can't believe Edison's making me go. I already graduated college where I came from."

"And I was the slayer of the beast-god Fenrir," Jacob pointed out. "And I still have to go, too."

"Welcome to the Museum of Celestial Wonders."

Bryce and Jacob listened to the warm tones of the voice of Mr. Michaelis, the museum's tour guide, who for some reason they could not fathom was dressed in the style of Victorian butler.

"Doesn't he even know what century this is?" Bryce asked.

"He probably just doesn't care," Jacob said. "Besides, people seem to like it. Mr. Stephens lets him since he says it's good for business."

A man in his early forties stepped into the main hall.

"Ah, Mr. Michaelis. Another tour I see. Excellent. Keep up the good work."

With an elegant bow, Sebastian replied, "Yes, ." then turned to the crowd he was attending to. "If you'll follow me, our first stop is the Donna Room. As you know, Donna was considered by the Ancient Cenibrians to be the goddess of our moon…"

Mr. Stephens listened as his best employee's voice trailed off. Then turned to face Jacob and Bryce.

"I will never get over how alike you both look," he told the two teens. "Lynch, I want to go over the Silver Sphere program with you. I need you to explain it to me more clearly because there are some aspects to it I can't quite grasp."

"Of course, Mr. Stephens," Bryce said, in a cheerful but resigned tone.

Bryce followed Mr. Stephens into the museum's security room.

"This is detective Greg Fanducci," he said.

"We've already fucking met," Fanducci said. "We arrived in this fucking city at the same time on the same conveyance. I noticed him because he almost matches the description of the kid I fucking arrived with."

Bryce blushed at the profanity, but only for a moment. "Mr. Fanducci. It's good to see you again. I assume you also want to learn about the museum's security."

"I want to know if it can be hacked," Fanducci said.

"Of course it can," Bryce told him. "Everything can be hacked. It's a question of how the system in question responds to the hacking. For example, I've set up this museum's computer system so any attacks are shunted over to a virtual machine. If he or she stays on too long, the machine is set to track down his or her computer and shut it down. It then logs the computer's address and blacklists it from reconnecting."

"That's pretty fucking good," Fanducci said, impressed. "Not as impressive as killing fucking Fenrir, but…" he shrugged and popped a PEZ into his mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

Monday morning saw Bryce and Kenny waiting at the rainy bus stop along with Jacob Frannag and a younger boy named Ciel Phantomhive who was standing under an umbrella held aloft by Sebastian Michaelis.

"Is Sebastian your father?" Jacob asked.

"He's my butler," Ciel replied. "My parents are dead."

"So are mine," Harry told him. "I was a baby when they were killed. My aunt raised me." Bitterly he added. "If you can call making me sleep in a cupboard and depriving me of friends raising me."

"They sound pretty nasty," Ciel agreed.

"How did your parents die?" Sebastian asked.

"They were murdered," Harry told them. "The killer came after me, too. But his attack backfired and he was unable to complete the attempt."

Harry shuddered as Sebastian seemed to see into his very soul. It wasn't like when Snape had penetrated his mind during Occlumency lessons. This was deeper. More personal.

"I understand how you feel," Sebastian said, finally. "But how safe would you have been if there was a used bedroom to prove you lived there? And what if you had a ton of friends who could be tortured into revealing your whereabouts?"

"I never thought of it that way," Harry admitted. He realized then that while the Dursleys' behavior towards him had seemed cruel, it had in fact protected him in the long run.

The rain stopped and the wind died down.

A small pile of leaves, however, was spinning in a miniature tornado.

"Potter!" a voice called out from nearby, in a miffed tone.

"It's not me!" Harry told Snape who had been driving by.

Snape looked at the small crowd he would have to perform a memory modification on later.

"I'm afraid that was me," Kenny admitted. "It's a bad habit I have when I get bored. The people where I live are quite used to it. Some of them even pay me to use my ability to clear the leaves off their lawn."

"What about the Statute of Secrecy?" Snape asked. "You can't just announce to every Muggle in the world that you're a wizard."

"I never heard of muggles," Kenny told him. "And I'm not a wizard. I'm a Druid Warrior."

"My apologies," Snape said, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry. "Where Harry and I come from magic is kept secret from the non-magical world as much as possible. Mostly for our safety, but also for theirs. That's why none of this conversation can go beyond this bus stop."

"Your secret is safe with us," Kenny promised.

"Definitely," Jacob agreed.

Bryce turned to Jacob. "If this guy didn't look like he has no sense of humor, I would bet this whole thing was some kind of wind up." he said, pointedly. "But yeah, I won't tell anyone. I doubt they'd believe anyone who did tell."

The bus stopped and let them on. The driver looked like he belonged in the cockpit of a fighter jet, rather than the driver's seat of a school bus.

Bryce sat next to Jacob while Harry took a seat beside Kenny.

"What's the most interesting thing you ever did?" Kenny asked.

"That's bus stop talk," Harry told him.

Kenny nodded. "Me, too."

Harry raised an eyebrow, wondering what Kenny could've done that he couldn't freely talk about and whether it was anything like taking on and defeating the most powerful dark wizard of all time.

Given the grim look on Kenny's face as he was apparently thinking of whatever it was, Harry decided it just might be possible.

The bus pulled over to let a few more kids on, and then continued, until it arrived at the school.

"Welcome," Korben told the students. "To Lost Cristobel High. Dumb name for a school if you ask me." he added in a muttered wave of sarcasm that washed over them and made them smirk.


End file.
